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1 November 1804 Visited by Several Chiefs of the lower Village who requested we would call on them &c. Spoke to the Same purpote [purport] with the Grand Chief. we Set out in the evening & I with the Party droped down to the place we intended to winter [1] & Cap Lewis called at the Village 3 miles above &. &.
the wind hard from the N W. Mr. McCrackin a Trader Set out at 7 oClock to the fort on the Ossiniboin by him Send a letter, (incloseing a Copy of the British Ministers protection) [2] to the principal agent of the Company— at about 10 OClock the Cheifs of the Lower Village Cam and after a Short time informed us they wished they would us to call at their village & take Some Corn, that they would make peace with the Ricares they never made war against them but after the rees Killed their Chiefs they killed them like the birds, and were tired [NB: of killing them] and would Send a Chief and Some brave men to the Ricares to Smoke with that people in the evening we Set out and fell down to the lower Village where Capt. Lewis got out and continud at the Village untill after night I proceeded on & landed on the S. S. at the upper point of the 1st Timber on the Starboard Side after landing & Continuinge— 〈Some〉 all night droped down to a proper place to build [3] Capt Lewis Came down after night, and informed me he intended to return the next morning by the perticular Request of the Chiefs.
We passed the Villages on our Decent in veiw of Great numbers of the inhabitents
the Main Chief Big White & 2 others i e the Big Man or Sha-ha-ca and [blank] Came early to talk, and Spoke as follows, after Smoking, Viz.
Is it Certain that the ricares intend to make good with us our wish is to be at peace with all, we will Send a Chief with the pania Chief and Some young men to Smoke and make good peace—? are you going to Stay abov or below this Cold [season?].— answer by C. L We are going down a few miles to look a place we can find no place abov proper.
The panias know's we do not begin the war, they allway begin, we Sent a Chief and a pipe to the Pania to Smoke and they killed them—, we have killed enough of them we kill them like the birds, we do not wish to kill more, we will, make a good peace
We were Sorry when we heard of your going up but now you are going down, we are glad, if we eat you Shall eat, if we Starve you must Starve also, our village is too far to bring the Corn to you, but we hope you will Call on us as you pass to the place you intend to Stop
C[aptain] L[ewis] answered the above—!
The wind blew so violently during the greater part of this day that we were unable to quit our encampment; in the evening it abated;— we droped down about seven miles and land on N. E. side of the river at a large point of Woodland.
Thursday 1st November 1804. a clear & [illegible] morning the wind high from the N. W., cool at 3 oClock P. M. we Set off to return a Short distance down the River in order to find a Good place for winters quarters. the wind abated. But the River So Shallow the we Struck the Sand bars. Capt. Lewis myself and Several more of the party halted at the 1st village of the Mandens in order to git Some corn. the head chief told us that they had not Got the corn ready. But if we would come tomorrow they [w]ould have it ready. they Gave us 3 kinds of victuls to eat which was verry Good. they were verry friendly Gave the pipe round everry fiew minutes &.C. they live verry well. have pleanty of corn Beans Squashes meat &.C. Capt. Lewis told the chief that he would come again tomorrow. then we went on abt. 2 miles down to a Bottom covered with Timber, where we Camped on the N. Side of the Missouris River.
Thursday 1st Nov. 1804. At 3 o'clock P. M. we returned down the river, to look for a place where we could fix our winter quarters. At dark we had descended 9 miles, and came to a bottom covered with cotton wood, where we encamped. [6]
November thur. 1st 1804. [7] the wind blew So fresh from the South that we Could not Get Under Way 〈In〉 at the time appointed as the Officers Intended falling down the [crossed out, illegible] the river before two Oclock P. M., to the place that they wishd. to build a fort. at dark we arivd. with the boat and Peirouges 9½ Miles 〈bel〉 Below the 2nd vilage of Mandans at a piece of woods On the N. E. Side whare we Commend. building the fort.— [8]
November 1st Thursday This morning, we had the Wind blowing hard from the South, that we could not set off at the time appointed; our Officers having agreed on, to return down the River, before 2 o'Clock P. M., to a place that they had concluded on, to build a Fort; at 3 oClock we set of, and arrived at the place at dark; with the boat and Pettyaugers. This place lies 9½ Miles below the 2nd village of the Mandan Nation, and 〈is〉 lay in a piece of Woodland, lying on the North side of the River Mesouri, and lies in Latitude 47° 21' North.—
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
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